Forage harvesters are harvesting machines that take up harvested crop from the ground, chop it, and deposit it through a discharge spout arrangement upon a deposit surface of a transport vehicle operating alongside or towed by the forage harvester. In order to fill the transport vehicle in a controlled manner, the direction of ejection can be varied by a discharge spout arrangement rotating about a vertical axis. In some embodiments, the height of the outlet end of the discharge spout arrangement can also be varied in that the discharge spout arrangement can be pivoted about a horizontal axis. Furthermore, an adjustable flap is provided at the outlet end of the discharge spout arrangement in order to provide an input for the direction of ejection. Such a forage harvester is disclosed, for example, by DE 101 19 279 A.
With relatively wide front harvesting attachments, (corn heads with operating width of 8 or 10 rows), or upon the operation of a chopper on an incline, it happens occasionally that the optimal spacing to the transport vehicle operating alongside cannot be maintained. Frequently, the distance between the forage harvester and the transport vehicle is too large, so that the transport vehicle is filled only on one side. This can lead to a loss of time in the chain of events in the operation of the chopper if the transport vehicle must be changed too early, since it cannot be loaded any further. In addition, in case of strong side winds during the deposit of the harvested crop onto the transport vehicle, losses can result if the flap of the discharge spout arrangement is at too great a distance from the trailer.
Rigid extension elements are known that can be attached to one side of the discharge spout arrangement for the solution of these problems. They do, however, have the disadvantage that they can have the effect of an interference in many other operating conditions in which the transport vehicle is already operating close to the forage harvester.
US 2001/0026755 A proposes a grain wagon with a discharge screw conveyor at whose outer end an extension is provided that can be telescoped by means of a hydraulic cylinder. The extension is automatically extended when the discharge screw conveyor is brought into its operating position. The telescoping extension is thereby used only for the more compact storage of the discharge screw conveyor in its non-operating position.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to define an improved discharge spout arrangement in which the disadvantages noted above do not occur.